Evaluation of science, technology, and innovation (STI) in Iran

This study aims to examine the status of STI evaluation in Iran.‎ To this end, the Iranian organizations active in evaluating STI were first introduced.‎ In order to demonstrate the status of the used indicators in Iran, documentary method was utilized and a framework for thematic categorization of national indicators was presented.‎ Finally, using this framework and taking advantage of comparative analysis, the indicators for evaluating STI in Iran were compared to those of international frameworks.‎ The results revealed that the major and fundamental problem for evaluating STI in Iran was lack of a comprehensive organization with certain responsibilities in this area.‎ In most cases, an overlap was observed among the indicators in the given organizations.‎ Moreover, a comparison of national and international indicators demonstrated that they were different in terms of one dimension, R&D which was considered as a separate dimension in most international frameworks while it had received scant attention at the national level.‎